Missouri Preservation Honor Award Winners with a St. Louis Connection

Elizabeth Gentry Sayad

Accepted the McReynolds

Award on behalf of Les Amis

This year, the McReynolds Award, which is given annually to recognize an individual or group who has demonstrated an on-going commitment to preservation through a long-term preservation project or significant achievements in the field, was given to the organization Les Amis. Founding member and great friend of Landmarks Association Elizabeth Gentry Sayad accepted the award on behalf of the organization. Les Amis was established in 1994 to serve as a fund-raising organization to support the restoration and interpretation of the Beauvais-Amoreux House in St. Genevieve. The house is one of only five poteaux-en-terre houses left in Missouri and the funds raised by Les Amis enabled critical restoration including the addition of historically accurate roofing, repairs to the porch and chimney and upgrades to the electrical system. Since this initial work, the organization has broadened its scope to bring awareness and support to French Creole resources in both Missouri and Illinois. In addition to a self-guided tour of the region, Les Amis hosts a variety of public festivals and educational events annually and is currently spearheading efforts to designate the Creole Colonial District as a World Heritage Site.

In addition, two former winners of Landmarks Most Enhanced Award were given the Preserve Missouri Award, 2730 McNair (Phoenix Development) and the Bel Air Motel (Roberts Companies). The Preserve Missouri Award is given to recognize outstanding efforts and projects around the state and to illustrate the diversity of preservation issues. Awards recognize a variety of projects including commercial and residential rehabilitations completed by public, private, and non-profit owners, landscape preservation and advocacy. You can read about the building on McNair and the former Bel Air Motel (now Hotel Indigo) HERE.